Health and Human Services News and Research

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HHS report details premium subsidy use and cost

Nearly 9 of 10 people who bought coverage on the health law marketplaces got government assistance to pay for the premium, and the average out-of-pocket premium cost was $69.

19 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: U.S. health care: Expensive and deficient; GOP threat to gun violence research

Britain and Switzerland were top scorers in a study examining the quality and efficiency of health care systems in 11 advanced nations by a leading American research organization. As usual, the United States finished last overall and last on several important measures of cost and health outcomes, despite having the most costly system in the world (6/16).

18 Jun 2014

Houston clinic finds ways to limit drug industry influence

Doctors are becoming wary of the appearance that drug makers' gifts can influence their prescription choices. Meanwhile, the federal government serves notice that it wants to find a way to preserve a regulation that would allow hospitals to get discounts on orphan drugs.

17 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: VA fix comes with big pricetag; safety outside abortion clinics; questions about Medicaid eligibility

As an example of how the normally sclerotic Congress can act extremely quickly when properly motivated, both chambers passed bills this week to ameliorate the Veterans Affairs health services scandal.

16 Jun 2014

FDA approves use for Lymphoseek to help doctors determine extent of neck and cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new use for Lymphoseek (technetium 99m tilmanocept) Injection, a radioactive diagnostic imaging agent used to help doctors determine the extent a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma has spread in the body's head and neck region.

16 Jun 2014

Researchers examine why tubulin acetyltransferase is important for brain health

In a new study, scientists at the National Institutes of Health took a molecular-level journey into microtubules, the hollow cylinders inside brain cells that act as skeletons and internal highways.

16 Jun 2014

States, insurance plans wrestle over decisions to offer costly hepatitis C drug

The medication, named Sovaldi, has shown great promise in fighting the deadly disease, but it is very expensive: The treatment regimen runs about $84,000 per patient.

16 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 13, 2014

Today's headlines include various updates on what Virginia lawmakers did in an attempt to resolve the state's budget impasse and Medicaid expansion debate.

13 Jun 2014

Type 2 diabetes Patients who take metformin plus insulin at higher risk for heart disease, death

Patients with type 2 diabetes who take a combination of metformin plus insulin may be at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and death compared with those who take a combination of metformin plus sulfonylurea, according to a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that appears in the June 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Jun 2014

Insurers revisit plans to narrow provider networks

The Wall Street Journal reports that some insurers are beefing up the provider networks included in health-law plans in response to concerns about access to care. Meanwhile, Kathleen Sebelius passes the baton to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the new Health and Human Services secretary.

10 Jun 2014

State highlights: Improving chronic care in Las Vegas; standoff over Medicaid in N.C.

Now, Las Vegas is emerging as a test of how much a community can improve chronically poor health by expanding insurance coverage and using models of medical care pioneered in healthier places. "We are a prime example of what people see as problematic about the American healthcare system," said Larry Matheis, the former longtime head of the Nevada State Medical Assn. "That makes a lot of the ideas in health reform very attractive. … The challenge is going to be figuring out how to make it all work" (Levey, 6/7).

10 Jun 2014

Most breast cancer patients fail to meet national physical activity guidelines

Physical activity after breast cancer diagnosis has been linked with prolonged survival and improved quality of life, but most participants in a large breast cancer study did not meet national physical activity guidelines after they were diagnosed. Moreover, African-American women were less likely to meet the guidelines than white women.

10 Jun 2014

HHS identifies overpayments to Medicare advantage plans but doesn't recover funds

Medicare auditors found the government overpaid the plans hundreds of millions of dollars but in 2013 opted to scrap such reviews, the Center for Public Integrity writes. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare looks at Medicare's difficult job in dealing with safety failures.

9 Jun 2014

NIDA review offers new insights into the negative health effects of marijuana

The current state of science on the adverse health effects of marijuana use links the drug to several significant adverse effects including addiction, a review reports.

9 Jun 2014

Scientific images of blood, brain, bacteria are on display at Washington Dulles International Airport

Stunning scientific images of blood, brain, bacteria, viruses and more, enlarged by as much as 50,000 times, are on display in an exhibit called "Life: Magnified," on view through November 2014 at Washington Dulles International Airport's Gateway Gallery.

9 Jun 2014

Senate OKs Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be next HHS secretary

The Senate confirmed Burwell's nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services 78 to 17, with only Republicans casting votes against her.

9 Jun 2014

Reporters reflect on health law battles

Huffington Post gathers five reporters who followed the passage and implementation of the health law to share their insights.

9 Jun 2014

Bacteria exposure may help protect babies from wheezing and allergic disease

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that exposure to specific combinations of allergens and bacteria within the first year of life may protect children from wheezing and allergic disease.

9 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 6, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the Senate confirmation of Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

6 Jun 2014

Researchers take step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people

In laboratory tests, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object. Although more work remains, this is a step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people, the researchers say.

6 Jun 2014

Health and Human Services News and Research

HHS report details premium subsidy use and cost

Viewpoints: U.S. health care: Expensive and deficient; GOP threat to gun violence research

Houston clinic finds ways to limit drug industry influence

Viewpoints: VA fix comes with big pricetag; safety outside abortion clinics; questions about Medicaid eligibility

FDA approves use for Lymphoseek to help doctors determine extent of neck and cancer

Researchers examine why tubulin acetyltransferase is important for brain health

States, insurance plans wrestle over decisions to offer costly hepatitis C drug

First Edition: June 13, 2014

Type 2 diabetes Patients who take metformin plus insulin at higher risk for heart disease, death

Insurers revisit plans to narrow provider networks

State highlights: Improving chronic care in Las Vegas; standoff over Medicaid in N.C.

Most breast cancer patients fail to meet national physical activity guidelines

HHS identifies overpayments to Medicare advantage plans but doesn't recover funds

NIDA review offers new insights into the negative health effects of marijuana

Scientific images of blood, brain, bacteria are on display at Washington Dulles International Airport

Senate OKs Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be next HHS secretary

Reporters reflect on health law battles

Bacteria exposure may help protect babies from wheezing and allergic disease

First Edition: June 6, 2014

Researchers take step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people

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